Monster
by Redeyed
Summary: A Hyuuga was born without the Byakugan, an Uchiha was plauged by the shadow of his uncle, and an Uzumaki was confused about his life...the new team seven unfolds
1. Prologue: Part I

Disclaimer: No. Own.

AN: This will be a series of stories circulating around the next generation of Team Seven. No flames will be tolerated, pairings undecided, and open to reviews…

When I was born, my clan was stunned into silence for a whole hour. At least, that was what my mother had told me.

Mother was the head of our family, Hyuuga Hinata. Both she and my father, the genius of the clan, Hyuuga Neji, posses the Byakugan. The clan was so proud when mother became pregnant. With parents like these, the elders said, we will not be surprised if the next heir was born with Byakugan activated.

Well, their expectations were a little off.

Okay, a LOT off.

After many days of reasoning, experimenting, gawking, and crying, the medics announced that yes, my pupils were real, my eyes really were green, and I had no superpowers in my eyeballs whatsoever. Father, as Mother recalls, had an unhinged jaw that had to be force back into its proper place and then bounded for several days.

Questions then aroused. Is the child really a Hyuuga? Guilty finger pointed at mother, and some rash conclusion may have been made if not for Father's defense. He had known Mother as a child and knew that her loyal and gentle personality would allow no such thing. But without the Byakugan I could not be announced heir. This caused quite a commotion within the clan. When mother had inherited, she dropped the walls between the main and branch families, and now there was no place to dump me. In the end, the council decided to wait for another child, all the while glaring daggers at me, a baby which frankly, did nothing to them.

My parents tried their best to comfort me. Mother told me that my emerald eyes were unique and pretty. Father trained me in different forms of techniques long before others, in my clan or out. They shielded me at an early age from the suspicions and insults, and Mother, between governing the clan and taking missions as a jounin, taught me some handy moves, which I perfected during the spare time that the other children in my clan spent developing their Byakugan.

When I was five, Mother became pregnant again. This time everyone was uptight and tense. By the time the baby was delivered and pronounced the official heir, the elders even permitted a celebration in its cause. I was six, and was about to enter the academy that fall. Mother and Father could not make it to the entering ceremony. Of course, that didn't disappoint me. They were very important, after all.

But the next few years were a blow to me.

I was one of the top students in the academy, except for this one Uchiha kid. At school, I made a few friends, including a very lazy boy called Nara Shiro. His mother was a Sand-nin called Temari. The son of the Rokudaime Hokage, Uzumaki Rio, also hanged out with me. He was a prankster, though, and got on Sakura-sensei's nerves all the time. Sakura-sensei was actually his mother, I think. A couple of other children from the Hyuuga also attended the Academy, but they were so anti-social and quiet I did not bother to even talk with them.

At home, though, things went from good to sour. I liked my brother Raikimaru, but as he began to grow, Father spent more time teaching him than me. At first I didn't mind. It was only fair, because I had already gotten my share of lessons. But then Mother had to get involved with more affairs. Me, the first-born, was cast aside. When I think about it, it really wasn't their fault. I was a waste of space, someone with the Hyuuga name who did not belong with their pupil-less eyes and stony attitude. I was too open and easy-going, too different with my greens and my head full of pure blue hair. I was more or less average, and too interested in kenjutsu and art to be healthy. I didn't even look like my family, except for my angled and elegant features, taken from Father, and the blue taken from Mother's blue-black hair.

When I was eight, I requested a kenjutsu trainer. Mother, apologetically, agreed. She wanted to make up a little for what she owed me. So I met my teacher, a cold teenager with raven-colored hair and purple eyes that promised me a lot of hard work. He was from a clan in Konoha that specialized in sword art. He was a jounin and the genius of that clan. Kenshin was the clan name. Sword-heart. His name was Gami.

I don't think Gami liked me at all during the first few weeks. He had no reason to. He was teaching his clan's secrets to an outsider, because his family was on the verge of destruction and the job paid well. I was angry, but then thought better of it and bowed my head, swallowed my pride, and allowed glares to burn the top of my head off while I whirled swords three or four times my weight.

When I was eleven, though, his attitude changed. I had worked tirelessly and without complaint. By the time he had taught me the fifth level of the Kenshin's Dragon style Wild Cut, we were friends, at least, sort of. I didn't act like the spoiled brat he expected, and he opened up, a little. Soon, I spent less and less time at home. Gami-sensei paid way more attention to me. I got the consent of Gami-sensei, and asked Mother and Father whether I can become a member of the Kenshin clan instead. I was still a little naïve. My clan didn't need me, I didn't look like I belonged anyway, and Gami needed an apprentice so his family techniques would live on.

My parents were shocked, but the elders readily agreed. They already had an heir. Raikimaru wasn't too sad either. We didn't talk all that much anyways. He was growing to be the prefect image of Father, cold and powerful and already starting the gentle-fist techniques, even though he was only five. The day I officially left the clan, nobody cried. Father patted me on the head and told me what a shame it was that the others could not see my skills and power. I told him Gami-sensei did. Mother hugged me for the first time in years and wished me luck. She tied my hair up with a silk green hair-tie, and gently renamed me Kairiki Kenshin.

Gami came to my graduation ceremony later that year.

I didn't see my parents.


	2. Prologue: Part II

AN: Thanks to all who reviewed! (Actually, there was only one…)

To nancy: I'm glad u liked my story!  Kairiki isn't really sad at all…she's glad to stop being a burden to her parents…

Disclaimer: No. Own. Anything. Except. Oc.

I was born with the Sharingan, open-eyed and un-crying into a cold new moon. Father was both worried and joyous. My uncle, Itachi, had the same conditions of birth, according to him. I have a little sister, though she was brought out as any other child would be.

Father expected much of me, and trained me much earlier than anyone. I couldn't say that I was happy. Father always treated me with caution, and sometimes I would notice him glaring at me. The expression was always wiped away when I pulled back my sharingan and revealed my teal eyes and goofy grin. Then he would ruffle my hair and let out a silent sigh of relief, as though some great crisis had passed. I learned not to question, because he wouldn't answer.

Mother rarely spent time with me, taking care of my sister instead. It was like a split job, with Father guarding me and Mother guarding my sister. She was only a year younger than me, and hung around me when Mother was off somewhere. Mother is both a chuunin and a flower shop owner. I don't see much of her though. As a young child, all I remember about her is her blond hair and teal eyes, just like mine.

I was always fascinated with Father's hair. As a baby, I used to stare at the locks in curiosity, wondering what exactly made it stand up like a chicken's behind. Then, my chubby hands would smooth down my own thick locks, a little disappointed that they don't stick up as well.

When I was four, my hair grew out, and I tied it back. Tameo-chan (my sister) remarked about how girlish my eyelashes were, especially framing red eyes. We were sitting at the dinner table at that time. Father and Mother both tensed, and looked at me. Father's eyes reflected shock and fear, both quickly covered up. I was going to the Academy that fall. I wondered what was so scary about me. A part of me concluded that maybe I looked like someone I wasn't supposed to look like. I didn't care, anyways. I didn't choose my face.

After I entered the Academy, I found it harder and harder to keep my sharingan off. It was only when Sakura-sensei almost yelled when I woke up during class (though she didn't know that) that I discovered, heck, it was easier going around with crimson eyes than blue. So, from then on, I kept my original eyes only at home. I have a foreboding feeling about the consequences of Father discovering my secret. He had told me that sharingan takes a lot of chakra. I was curious for some time on why it almost took me more effort to keep my teal eyes.

About a year after my entrance, the Head of the Academy sent Father a letter. Normally, they wouldn't do that, but Sakura-sensei was almost afraid of their decision. They wanted to graduate me. Naturally, I was both surprised and happy. However, that day would be burned forever into my memory as a day I wished I had forgotten.

Mother shook upon reading the letter. Sakura-sensei claimed that I needed more work, but the Head measured my abilities and sent me a copy of my results. My various skills were at the same level as uncle Itachi, when he was in school. I was so proud to be like my uncle that I showed the forms to Father.

Father had never been so afraid and enraged before in my life. He tore up the forms and sent me an icy-cold glare in full sharingan. I was confused and scared. The feelings reflected in Father's eyes as well. He nearly lost control, and yelled and asked me why I had to be JUST LIKE HIM.

I asked him desperately what I did wrong. I did NOTHING. I just wanted to be great, like my uncle. Father had once told me reluctantly that Itachi graduated at the same time I am supposed to. I thought he was just jealous.

Father lost control completely. He cried, for the first time I had ever seen, and raised his fist to strike me.

My sharingan flicked on. Mother, who had just entered the room, took a look at them and fainted.

I felt so weird. All of my senses became so much sharper than they were supposed to be, even with my previous sharingan. I could smell the fear off of Mother, and see every detail of Father's wide eyes. I screamed, a splitting migraine threatening to break apart my skull, and Tameo enter the room. Father pulled her from me, almost as though to protect her, and I felt a sharp pain.

I screamed at him. **WHAT DID I DO WRONG? WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT ME!**

Father closed his eyes tightly, and cried. I cried as well, the newfound sharingan fading away. I was deprived of chakra.

After that, my sharingan became harder to call upon, but when I looked into the mirror, they had three marks instead of two. I looked into an Uchiha scroll, and found that my sharingan had evolved. Everyone except Tameo avoided me afterwards. Father especially wouldn't meet my eyes, even though they had faded back to blue for the most part. I found it hard to smile at my own parents. Father refused the Academy's offer and put me back into first year. I lost my friends due to my icy attitude.

Was uncle Itachi that bad?

When I was seven, I found the strength to socialize again at school. Tameo entered that year, and soon I could joke around and laugh with my peers. Tameo truly was a good sister. She was kind and smart, and soon we formed a sort of bound. Whenever she said something particularly funny about Sakura-sensei, I would poke her in the forehead with two fingers and chuckle. Sakura-sensei saw us once. She looked pale. Was it something that uncle Itachi did too?

After a while, I stopped caring about the adults in my life. Father and Mother, well, I still loved them…but…who am I kidding? I couldn't bring myself to hug them like the others. I stopped wearing the Uchiha clan symbol, and ceased talking at home.

My parents didn't even come to my graduation ceremony.

I'm no saint.

I don't give a shit about them.

AN: I'm glad that u came 2 the end…there will be one more prologue on Uzumaki Rio before the actual story……NOW REVIEW! I got 93 HITS TO 1 REVIEW!ONE!THAT'S PTITFUL!

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	3. Prologue: Part III

AN: I'm so grateful for all the reviews! Man, the dang uchihas r popular…

Nancy: oops…I already had his character planned out and the name just…slipped my mind. Sorry! You'll find out his name…eventually. Thanks to my first steady reviewer!

King chaos: thank you for leaving a review! (keep reviewing)

Miyata: I enjoyed your long review! Yes, the pairings are that…and as for your second question…you'll find out now. I still have no idea how the rest of this fic will go, but I'll keep your suggestion in mind

Annyia: Yeh, I just wanted to experiment around with new couples…but I do like NejiHina…

Hitomi No Ryu: I am a loyal Mary-Sue hater…glad we share that common trait. And thanks for your warning…I know I'm doing a risky move here, but I'm trying my hand at the more 'difficult' section of fanfiction…hopefully the splat wouldn't be too big…

And THANK YOU to all who took the time to read this work of mine…I THANK YOU all!

Anyways, this will be the last prologue before the actual story…I've been updating every day, but the rate will slow down as the story progresses…please bear with me

Dad had always dreamed about becoming Hokage. Ha! Even now, in his robes, he still resembled a blond idiot playing Commander. I know it's insulting, but I really couldn't see him any other way. Believe me, I've tried. He just looked like a big baby. A very cool, awesome, mature baby, but still…a baby.

Once, I mentioned that to my mom. I thought he was an actor or something. Mom laughed at me. It had been his dream since we were kids, she told me. This dad, your dad, is for real.

For real. A real Hokage.

As a three-year-old, that was REALLY awesome.

As a five-year old, it got annoying.

Everybody kept on calling me 'Honorable Son'. I seriously don't get why being the son of the Hokage is so "honorable". I mean, I was born that way. So, in a sense, they were complementing my DNA…it's both confusing and irritating.

I've got dad's eyes, and my hair is blond for the most part, except for the light tinge of pink it acquires whenever my hair got in the light. I think it's kind of cool. True men wears (grows) pink! I look like my dad, in a way, but my eyes are more angled and I'm not as tempted to change my expression too dramatically. All in all, (quoting mom here) I was 'prettier' than him. Heh. That fed my ego. My parents were really nice to me, though I don't see dad often, because his schedule is so tight. Whenever he has free time, though, all of us would go out to this very good place called Ichiraku. I absolutely love their ramen. I still try to beat dad at eating the most in five minutes…I never won. Figures.

Mom teachers at the Academy. I entered when I was five. At school, she treats me just like the other kids, not that I complain or anything. She's really nice overall. I know it's a weird thing to say about moms, but she gives me a really cheerful feeling. Dad has the same aura.

Most of the kids at school are afraid of me, cuz of Dad. Their parents probably told them that I was too be revered or something, because most of them calls me "Rio-sama". People would stutter and talk stiffly when they are around me. It was really annoying, and I couldn't find any friends, until a little bit into my second year.

I met Nara Shiro when mom called on me during class. I was zoning off, thinking about exotic flavors of ramen (like…salamander…and strawberries), and had absolutely no idea whatever blah shuriken blah she was talking about, when a blond boy nudged me under the desks and wrote "Shadow Windmill" on a piece of paper. I was suspicious, because he looked asleep, but I said it out loud anyways, and got it right. During lunch, I sat with him. His dad, Nara Shikamaru, was close friends with the Hokage and didn't really give shit about my title. His mother was a sand-nin named Temari. His family's spilt in two countries. I told him how sorry I was, but he waved it off and said that his uncle is the Kazekage. He could travel back and forth very easily. I laughed, and he smiled lazily. We were the only two kids with blood relations to the Kages, so I thought that was very cool.

After school, he introduced me to his friend, a very cute girl named Kairiki. She was in first year, but they planned to skip her to second very soon. She carried around a notebook, which contained pictures that she sketched of various things. They did not look like a child's work! She didn't talk all that much, but whenever others spoke to her, she would have a real sincere look on her face that lets you know she's listening. I felt so happy to have gained such friends in a day.

During our fifth year, we began to talk about more serious things. Mom had enlightened us on some rather gory details of our future work. It made me question Dad. The Fourth Hokage had given up his life for Konoha…Mom said that the villagers hated Dad when he was little. Why would anyone want to protect the people who hated him? I wasn't even going to pretend that I'm half as strong as Dad. When people pushed me, I pushed them back. Kairiki told me that it was human nature; that only a few people can accomplish what Dad did. I felt both proud and ashamed. Proud because Dad is so brave and good, but ashamed because people would expect me to do the same things Dad did. I already knew, deep down, that I'm average. If Konoha had hated me when I was little, I probably would have killed someone. A part of me thought that, if I became Hokage, I won't be able to protect anyone. I valued my own life above everything. It was selfish, I know, but it was me. And somehow, I felt that it was right.

When I asked Shiro whether he would die for Konoha, he looked at me with a bright intelligence I rarely saw. He told me that his only goal in life is to live the way he wanted to live and die the way he wanted to die. That, he said, is harder than anything, if we were to live the life of a shinobi. I still remember the clear hazel orbs gazing at me in confidence. For the first time in my life I felt jealous. Of him, of Dad, of everyone who knew what they wanted to accomplish.

I thought to myself, Uzumaki Rio, you better find out what you live for.

That will be my goal…for now.


	4. First Day

AN: it's me…and this chapter has doubled in length!

Miyata: …I really didn't plan anything…but I guess that's one way you can interpret Rio…I based it off of real life people, how they would feel if they had to become ninja…sorta…

Thron1484: I did? Thanks! I did want to write a fic with an actual plot…but I'm very flattered by your compliment… (I have this spell check that automatically corrects all of my mistakes…) :P

Invader Nicole: Thanks for your review! I got the idea for this fic because I had a sudden thought of 'hey, how would it be like if a hyuuga had no byakugan?'

Nancy: ah…u get 2 no the uchiha kid's name in this chapter…very uncreative but oh well…and I was thinking…nah I won't tell u

Hitomi No Ryu: see what I mean by uchihas are so popular? Lol…(eats cookies)

Unknown: thank you so much for leaving a review! (my ego is inflated)

Now, without further ado, please enjoy this new chapter of Monster!

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Gami pulled me off my cozy bed at five in the morning.

"Wake up!" he yelled into my face, while I rubbed my eyes sleepily. His voice had steadily gotten louder over the years, I thought. In fact, it was like he was almost—

—screaming in my ear. Actually, he was. My eyes suddenly snapped open, my foggy brain ringing unpleasantly with the aftermath of the verbal abuse. My head slammed against the wall in surprise. Gami backed off, an annoyed, yet amused look on his face.

"You can't afford to be late for the genin team assignment," he told me calmly, as though he hadn't just blown out my eardrums a few moments ago. I clutched my head.

"Nii-san, it's five…"

Gami looked at me. "Didn't they change the meeting time? To five-thirty, didn't they?" He watched as I bolted up, kicked over the covers, and pulled on my sandals in a flurry of haste. I had forgotten entirely. Yesterday I passed the genin exam, and was so excited I hardly paid attention to anything else. Sakura-sensei probably told us. I dragged on my overly-large blue shirt. It was Gami's old one, and, while uncomfortable, still fit. A loose weapon-belt slung over my waist, my shuriken and kunai pouch fastened securely to the side. I grabbed a pair of black shorts and rushed into the bathroom to change. I brushed my teeth in haste, splashed water over my face, and shouted a hurried "Bye!" before grabbing a random onigri and my forehead protector off the kitchen table and speeding towards the Academy as fast as eating breakfast while running would allow. I fastened my ninja symbol over my head as soon as the food was demolished.

I charged into the classroom panting just as Sakura-sensei entered on the other door. Spotting Shiro and Rio, I quickly grabbed the empty seat next to Rio and sat down, uttering a quick apology to the dark-haired girl next to me, who had to lean forward to avoid bumping into me. She smiled in response.

Rio snickered at me, pointing at his chin. "Rice." I rapidly wiped my chin, feeling my cheeks burn up. Some of my classmates were laughing at me. I must have looked ridiculous, running into the room like my pants were on fire with a ball of rice stuck to my face. Shiro even raised an eyebrow in amusement, a great feat for him and a stronger indication of how hilarious I must have been. Just as I was considering tying my headband around my eyes, Sakura-sensei coughed, and saved me further embarrassment.

"I will announce your teams based on the results of you genin exams. The strength of each team will be balanced, and the results can not be protested," she said. The classroom tensed in excitement. I balled my hands into fists.

"Team 5: Akimichi Goku, Nara Shiro, and Uchiha Tameo," Sakura sensei said. The dark-haired girl next to me rose, as well as Shiro. A chubby brunette joined them, and Sakura gave them some information in whispers before waving them off. Shiro looked back at us, tilting his head so his long gold hair fell over his shoulders. He raised two fingers in a goodbye gesture. Rio and I waved. Sakura rolled her eyes at our little 'farewell'.

"The next team will be Team 6," she continued, scanning each of our faces. I looked around, and noticed the other Uchiha who had been sitting besides Uchiha Tameo. His dark hair shaded most of his face. Cold blue eyes peered from under dark bangs, and he sat with his hands folded in front of his face. Strangely, a few friends sat with him. I suppressed a slight shiver. The Uchiha gave off an empty, echoing aura. He was Raiske, the prodigy of the Uchiha and the number one rookie of our year.

"Team 6 will consist of Hyuuga Hotaru, Inuzuka Tsume, and Abruame Tohru," Sakura said, a tiny smile working on the corner of her mouth. One of my white-eyed cousins, a strange boy with a dog, and a girl with a high collar and sunglasses all stood up. The dog-boy seemed a bit dejected. I remembered that Tsume loved to talk. With these teammates it will be virtually impossible. Before he passed, Rio patted his shoulder in sympathy. Tsume and he let out a collective sigh.

Sakura-sensei glanced down at her paper and her green eyes widened slightly. "Team 7: Uchiha Raiske, Uzumaki Rio, and Kenshin Kairiki."

Both Rio and I looked at Raiske. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Could this really be?

"Rio, you got the worst grade?" I asked incredulously. Rio's mouth opened for a moment, and clamped shut firmly. He looked away. A few others in the room also stared at him. I frowned. Rio seemed uneasy. I took glance at Raiske out of the corner of my eye, and saw him looking at Rio in interest. At least, I thought it was interest; I could never tell with somebody like him.

Rio sighed, strawberry blonde spikes drooping slightly. "Let's go," he told me.

Sakura-sensei beckoned us. "Meet your sensei this afternoon at three in room 124," she told us.

All three of us walked out the room.

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Shikamaru was really, really, really annoyed. Why did the whole world have to be so troublesome? Truthfully, watching the clouds shift and change shape was more intriguing. He sighed for the fifth time in two minutes. Normally, he would have considered sighing too troublesome, but in this case, it was necessary. He could almost bet that he was the only parent who wasn't worried sick for their child. Even Sasuke had an excited look, which was rare enough. Temari was no exception, her fists clenching and unclenching on her lap. Shikamaru allowed a slow smile to creep onto his face. If Temari was here, things wouldn't be _as _annoying. The Hokage, Naruto, sat at his desk, filing through papers. He had called the meeting.

"Well," Naruto said, putting down his documents with a cloud of dust, "Most of you probably guessed what I called all of you here for."

"Yeah, well, get to the point," Kiba said. "It's something about our kids, isn't it?"

Shikamaru's eyebrows rose lazily. This could be interesting…

Naruto fidgeted. "Well, I need all of your opinions on this first. Since we are all familiar with each other, I was hoping that the reactions wouldn't be too violent…" he trailed off. "You tell them, Sakura-chan."

Sakura sent Naruto a look that would promise PAIN. "Hokage-sama is preparing to launch a new system of genin missions," she said, the look on her face clearing saying that she disapproved. "The teams may participate in a B or A ranked mission as long as two teams paired up."

A circle of gasps resounded throughout the room. Ino's fingers dug into her husband's arm. Temari pinched Shikamaru sharply. Shino and his wife Yora stiffened even more than they already were. Sakura rolled her eyes. Chouji dropped his chip bag, and his wife, Kita, clasped her hands so tightly together that they turned white. Kiba's facial markings grew redder. Sasuke, growling, was the first to slam his palms on the Hokage's desk.

"What. Is. The. Meaning. Of. This."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry…I sort of remembered our genin years. Genins are always complaining about how boring the missions were, so this will probably satisfy them."

Sasuke backed off, a frown still evident on his face even though it was clear he was thinking this over very carefully. Shikamaru felt a wave of thoughts hit his mind. Hm…it wouldn't be too bad, because he…

"This is actually a good idea, Hokage-sama," a new voice spoke at the back of the room. Most of its inhabitants slapped their heads. Oh no…

"I, the marvelous green beast of Konoha, hereby exclaim my full support for our youthful offspring and support them on their road to success, by casting my vote for this wonderful new proposal presented by Hokage-sama, and—"

"No offense," Kiba said, "But last time I checked, you didn't have a ki—"

"I am the teacher for team five! Of course I have a say in this!" Lee shouted. His infamous thumbs-up flashed and his Ping! went off. Shikamaru closed his eyes nonchalantly to prevent blindness. He felt a sudden nausea rise in his throat. Shiro was on team 5…his son…his son…

He glanced up. Chouji looked ready to barf up his breakfast, and Kita gently pushed his jaw back into place. Sasuke was a hungry wolf parent whose pups had been eaten in front of his eyes. The room felt like a bomb ticking its way to blowing its top, and a vague thought appeared in Shikamaru's genius mind. He decided to follow that vague thought.

I better leave.

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Inner Rio was rambling again.

_WHY is our sensei late! _It shouted, its face pouting in a very dad-like manner. I ignored it to the best of my abilities. We have been waiting in this cold, stuffy, stupid room for the past hour and a half. I was ready to kill. Kairiki stood in a corner, asleep on her feet, while Raiske sat in another corner, brooding in that creepy way of his, with his hands folded in front of his face, elbows on his upturned knees. I could understand Kairiki, because corners minimize one's chances of falling, but what's with Raiske? That I-don't-give-shit look pissed me off. Outer Rio frowned at the girly boy, while inner Rio stuck out the finger and gave many comments not suitable for a child's ears.

Damn. That sadistic bastard was looking at me. Inner Rio punched his imaginary face.

"Why are you staring at me?" I asked, glaring.

"I could ask the same of you," he replied in a bored tone, as though I wasn't even enough to shine his shoes. Truly, I was friendly when it comes to most people. But this guy…ugh. My very blood despises him. He was too frickin _confident_, like he knows what he's gonna do ten years from now. More importantly, he looked like he KNEW what he lives for. I felt a part of my stomach drop in a wave of sour feeling, which instantly transformed into anger. It's not fair that he knew stuff I've tried so hard to comprehend. Shiro was the same, but I knew Shiro. Shiro was good. This RAISKE was hateful. I was jealous, I admitted to myself. Jealous because he wasn't lost, like I was.

I was so unsure on the day of the exam. A part of me kept on telling me to call it quits. I didn't see any glory in being a ninja, and had nothing to protect. The rest of me told me to take the exam, because I would not be able to look at mom and dad's faces if I didn't. Dad was a Hokage, and mom was a great medic-nin and teacher. I had spent seven years in the Academy, and all of it will become nothing if I don't become a ninja. I kept telling myself that, and narrowly squeezed through. When Kairiki put my score into the light this morning, I felt like I had failed so miserably. I became a ninja, but an embarrassment to my family. It was truly one of the worst days of my life.

I really, really, had to figure out my own twisted beliefs.

"This is so troublesome," sighed a voice from the doorway.

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AN: it's kind of obvious now who the teacher is…NOW REVIEW!


	5. First Day Part II

AN: sry….brain's not working……I guess I'll put off the exam until another chapter….lazy me…

Hitomi No Ryu: for some reason….people r always sensitive about uchiha names…….gah…..overlook the name………………………..thank you for reviewing!

R. K. R:         

Peter Kim: I appreciate your review, but alas I have plans different from ur ideas. Don't worry, Konohamaru's gonna b in there…

Thorn1484: ah…..hotaru actually is a name, and not mine either………thanks for telling me anyways. I can understand how you feel that way about the original Naruto characters, but my opinion is that if I erase their childish qualities, they wouldn't be them...but then, they won't always be like that…(when you read lee, think gai…)

Nancy: ah……u know who the sensei it now!

Anti-thule: ….what r u confused about?

Zerosaver: close guess, but not close enough…read between the lines…….thanks for the review!

AN: I'm losing my touch………….anyways, READ.

And then…..REVIEW

I did not deserve this.

I truly, truly did not deserve this.

Why, of all of the ninjas in the Leaf, must a lunatic be selected to fill the position as instructor for team 5? Somebody up there must be extremely hateful towards me, else the scene presented before me would never have happened. Not the ugly, clinging spandex, not the blinding smile, not the shiny bowl cut, not the annoyingly loud exclamations, nothing. Pure, blissful, nothing. Dad's lazy "how troublesome" would have been an angel's voice compared to….

"May the power of youth override any confusion you may have in terms of your training!"

…this.

I rubbed my head as a pounding headache came on. The clouds were swirling together into strange patterns. The other two members of my team had on expressions of pain, the very same look in which I was attempting to mask for the past ten minutes. Lee-sensei's introduction was lengthy, filled with unnecessary information and (for the lack of a better word) STUPID proclamations. Goku was frantically stuffing his face, attempting to choke down the nausea I'm sure he felt, as a thick blush of purple was staining his cheeks. Uchiha Tameo sat politely on her knees, brows furrowed and swallowing uncomfortably every once in a while. Strange how that girl could still smile, however forced it may be. I was suddenly reminded of how my friends would've reacted. Rio would probably grimace and dump a pail of water of Lee-sensei's much-in-need-of-cooling head, and Kairiki…she would go to sleep. Probably. Kairiki is, after all, an unpredictable person. Speaking of sleeping, I would very much love to do so, if not for the noise. I sighed, and bend down to pluck some grass to stuff into my ears. A lock of my bangs fell in front of my eyes. It would be amusing if I could stuff my ears with my hair…

"Now that you have learned all that you need to know about your sensei, please tell the rest of us your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and any goal or dream you might have," Lee-sensei said. "Starting with the long-haired boy to my left. And may I add that long, blond hair is very youthful?"

I sighed again. Now THIS is even more troublesome.

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"This is so troublesome…" said a voice from the doorway.

I looked up sharply. Finally, our sensei is here. I glared at the door full-force and willed the wood to give away to expose this reckless sensei to the wrath of my stare. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rio glaring as well. He looked ridiculous, like how Tameo looked when Mother forced her to eat her broccoli. I let out an unconscious smirk. People like him weren't made for intimidating enemies.

Speaking of Rio, that boy seemed to hate me. I was aware of his spiteful stare all throughout our wait in the classroom. Not that I cared too much, but I was puzzled. I don't remember doing anything to him. And then, for some other reason, I dislike him. There was no reason behind it; just a small thought at the back of my head who whispered that if the punk gets one step closer, he's going down. I ignored that voice most of the time, and meditated. At first, I thought the girl at the other end of the room, Kairiki, was meditating as well. Upon closer listening, she was sleeping. I felt ridiculed. What's with my teammates?

The door opened, and a waterfall cascaded down upon our new teacher.

Maybe buckets filled with water set up in a trap that activates upon door opening do set themselves up, I thought ironically.

Rio had a satisfied smirk (again, an amateur expression) on his face. He set the trap up. But when did he get to do it? A quick memory scan told me that he had not moved during the time we were here. But…he did leave lunch before the rest of us…which means that he set the trap up before Kairiki and I arrived, left the room, and entered last to ensure that the next person who was here would get rained on. However, several loose ends are still not tied up. How did he know that our sensei wouldn't be here before we were? How did he know that the sensei would fall for such an elementary trick? And most importantly, why did he want to leave a negative impression for his sensei on the first day?

My poor strained mind decided to ignore this question it could not solve.

A thoroughly drenched teacher emerged. His dark brown ponytail was soaked, hanging lopsidedly over a nonchalant face. Strangely, his features reminded me of someone's. More specifically, that blond kid who always hanged out with Rio…

…I knew him. He was Nara Shikamaru, a teammate of mother's. I narrowed my eyes. Hm…according to Father, he was a powerful ninja…

I took another look at his wet sloppy hair.

The world was a mystery, all right.

Shikamaru sighed, and shook his head like a dog; glancing suspiciously at a smug Rio. I was temporarily reminded of a cat eyeing a mouse to decide whether or not the critter was too troublesome to hunt or not. I saw that Kairiki had fully awakened, and was now scanning the scene in front of her, blue eyes crinkling in amusement. Then, she looked at me, almost asking whether I had anything to do with a wet pissed jounin standing in the middle of the room. I shook my head in automatic response.

"Hello. I am your instructor as of today. My name is Nara Shikamaru," the sensei said. He seemed to have decided the mouse unworthy of consumption, and settled to looking with disinterest at each of us. I glared. I still haven't forgotten what kind of wait he put us through.

"All of us will tell each other our names, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and goals for the future," he said. "My name is Nara Shikamaru. My likes are…. (here, he thought for a moment), my dislikes are….troublesome objects, I like cloud watching, and…….I've already achieved my goal." He nodded at Rio to pick up.

Rio stiffened a tiny bit. I was torn between curiosity and pity; I could read him like an open book. He had something he was unsure of telling about, yet had to.

"My name…is Uzumaki Rio. I like ramen, my parents, and good pranks. I don't like SNOBS, PMSing people, tragic people…..and…….(he looked at me). I enjoy eating, napping, and reading, and……..as for my goals for the future…." He bit his bottom lip. "I want to find out something."

A very disturbing image of Rio 'finding out something' leapt unbidden into my mind. I need a brainwash. The next in line was me.

"I am Uchiha Raiske," I said quietly. "I like my sister, friends, and…" I trailed off, realizing that I didn't have anything to add. "I dislike annoying people and trashy romance novels." A sudden chill in my spine reminded me that I was about to say my parents. "I enjoy reading, training, and swimming. As for my goals for the future, I want to prove something."

Prove that I'm not my uncle, I thought grimly. I looked at Kairiki, wanting to forget how much my simple introduction affected me.

"My name is Kenshin Kairiki," she said. "I like nii-san, my swords, and my friends. I dislike many things which I don't want to mention. I enjoy sketching, reading, and quiet chats. I want to grow up to be worthy of the Kenshin name."

She said it all quickly, briefly, and with no pauses. Gah, I envy her.

Rio also looked at Kairiki. I had the feeling that we were thinking the same thought.

Shikamaru-sensei looked at each of us in turn, his calculating glance unnerving me. I wish I knew what he was thinking about…I masked my thoughts behind my face. I wanted to get this over with.

"Tomorrow you will have one more exam," Shikamaru said.

Exam?

"Make sure you have a good night's sleep and eat well," he continued. "Meet me at the training 10 miles south of the tower tomorrow at 8. Gather on the stone bridge."

All three of us opened our mouths to inquire more about this test.

"Sensei—"

"Shuddup. 8. Bridge."

Waving lazily, Shikamaru wandered out the door.

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Tsume glanced around uneasily. Tohru was motionless, her collar shielding her expression, and her eyes were closed, making the upper portion of her face stony blank. On the floor besides him sat Hotaru. The boy's empty irises stared ahead, and Tsume vaguely thought to himself that even if he was bold enough to greet this Hyuuga, his chakra holes would probably be gentle-fisted shut in less than a second. He shuddered, truly hating his scenario.

They had been waiting…and waiting….and waiting...

"He's late," Tohru stated calmly, eyes glued shut and voice so raw it was creepy. She hadn't opened her eyes since they'd sat down to wait. Tsume wondered how she knew the time. Maybe she counted?

He glanced outside the window, and saw that the sun had already moved to the far side of the sky. Their sensei was HOURS late.

'I'm getting hungry,' Hige complained.

"Me too," Tsume sighed out loud, rubbing the black dog's furry collar, releasing a whimper from the canine.

Hotaru's eyes momentarily turned towards him, but shifted back just as quickly. Hige stretched, and paddled lightly towards the window.

'I'm going to get a bit to eat,' he yowled, flickering his tail. 'See ya around.'

Tsume lifted his drowsing head so quickly he popped his neck. "Don't leave me here!"

Both Tohru and Hotaru had their eyes trained on him now. He swallowed. Un-oh…he's disturbed their silence.

Hige wheezed a dog-like laugh, and bounded out of the room to freedom. He even had a convenient little sunset in front of him. Tsume resisted the urge to bawl in a corner. Now he will be alone while suffocating in the heavy atmosphere of the room, with two maniacs glaring holes at him. Well, one, after Tohru had lost interest and turned away to look on the inside of her eyelids.

"Yo."

A silver-haired man appeared in the room, a grinning eye the only part of him that wasn't covered by ninja material. Tsume felt his breath hitch in.

Sharingan Kakashi.

Hige had no IDEA what he missed.

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AN: Gahhh……still trying to get a decent idea of what will come next………..I want to surprise ya'll but…………stupid brain………..!


	6. Genin Exam

Monster: Chapter 6

Rio's POV:

Dad enlightened me some on the odd little 'test' we were supposed to have today. When he was my age, he'd also had to take this exam. His sensei, Sharingan Kakashi, exploited the theme of teamwork. His team, including mom, almost failed if not for Raiske's dad, Uchiha Sasuke. Dad talked about Sasuke like his friend….damn. Why the heck does it have to be Raiske's dad, of all people? Gee, and he had to be on the team with mom and dad too. I made my way towards the bridge feeling a bit ironic and depressed. The old team seven had the same meeting place…damn.

Kairiki saw me and waved. Inner Rio brightened considerably at her presence. At least somebody I like is also with me!

…and then, I saw Raiske.

Damn.

He sent me an inquisitive look, teal blue eyes too innocent for his own good. That was my trademark for getting out of class. I glared at him, and he smirked at me, almost taunting my eye color. Ha-ha, his eyes said. Mine's bluer than yours. Inner Rio placed in some retarded comments on how he must have worn contacts, and I smacked myself. I am insane, if I dislike Raiske so much I'm trashing his physical appearance.

"You okay?" Kairiki asked. "You've been really out of it since yesterday." She pushed herself away from the bridge rail, and I caught a glimpse of a long sword lying by her feet. She bent down to retrieve the weapon.

Holy fucking shit.

That thing had to be the MOTHER of all swords. It was almost two meters long, average width, and shone a brilliant blue light. The handle was a dragon turned towards the user, and its back claws and incredibly long tail wrapped around the end of the sword. Every scale on the dragon was defined, the beast itself seemingly made with jade. I felt my jaw click as it hit the ground. I looked towards Raiske.

The bastard just raised an eyebrow.

Kairiki saw my stare, and smiled apologetically. "I thought we might do a little fighting today, so I took this out." She twirled the weapon several times as if it were nothing, and dropped into ready stance. "This little beauty here is especially suited for the Dragon Styled Wild Cut."

She gave it a slight spin forwards, and the thing leapt forward like it has a mind of its own, missing my head by centimeters. I saw the tip of the dragon's tail whip upwards.

An image of that thing skewing Shikamaru sensei came into my mind. Shiro, please don't be too sad.

"Impressive, but too troublesome for today," came a voice from behind me.

Man, that sensei was early.

"Why didn't you just come out?" Raiske asked, the first oh-so-holy words he's said all day in that forty-year old guy's voice.

Just come out? He's been in hiding?

A pause.

"Too troublesome."

Another pause.

"So, sensei, how come you were early?" I asked.

Shikamaru looked at me in that lazy regarding way Shiro usually does. "I……camped out."

Man, those trees swayed like they have a hammock between them. I took a look around. The greenery was so thick, it was no wonder we didn't notice.

Suddenly, Shikamaru clamped his hands together, jumping from the railing onto the bridge. "Let's get started. Give me your headbands."

"Eh?"

"I need to inspect them first," he stated. Simultaneously, we took them off and handed it to him. He flipped each one over, smoothed the fabric, and tapped on the metal sheets. Satisfied, he gave them back, and watched as we tied them on. I was puzzled about this affair. Was it possible that he was checking the headband for defects? What defects?

Kairiki picked up her sword. "Sensei," she said, "Please explain the object of today's test, and why my sword could not be accepted." He tone was normal, but knowing her so long, I could feel a hint of curiosity and disappointment.

Shikamaru sighed. "I will guard your weapon for you."

Kairiki smiled, and nodded. Ok, so I don't know her all that well. I seriously don't get the way she talks sometimes.

"Today's test will be difficult, with a failure rate of 66," he said. "Only ONE of you will pass today."

I looked around sharply. Both Kairiki and Raiske's eyes were narrowed. I felt the pit of my stomach drop. One. Only one of us will become ninja.

Shikamaru looked at us again. "Uchiha, come here."

Raiske stepped forward, blue eyes void of any emotion. He was at an emotional peak, probably. It was the same with all ninja; we become unusually calm when we are excited.

Shikamaru picked Raiske's weapon pouch off. I saw him tense. Shikamaru sensei obliviously opened the pouch, and flipped through its contents. He sighed.

"Oh well," he said, "It's not there."

"What's not there?" Raiske demanded sharply.

Shikamaru waved. "Ah…just thought you have a cheating object in there, no worries."

I could tell that Raiske longed to punch him. Suits Shikamaru right, accusing somebody like that.

He waved it off, and pointed at the forest instead. "My earring's lost over there; find it by noon."

I felt a question bubble up.

"You may communicate with each other, which is highly recommended, and whoever gives it back to me wins." He leaned down. "Killing is permitted."

I gulped. Raiske was eyeing me.

Shikamaru pulled a timer out of his pocket. "Three, two, one…"

I dashed into the trees.

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Kairiki's POV:

I gripped my fist tightly. Something was fishy about Shikamaru-sensei, even though it wasn't a bad intention. I felt the trees starting to thin out, and a flash of blue caught my eye.

"RIO!"

He stopped, looked back, and saw me. "Kairiki."

I looked around. "Rio, we need to work together." I felt my own ego bruise, but it was necessary. Rio looked at me, about to protest, and then grinned.

"K……but fair game when the time comes."

I smiled. "Fair."

I jumped down. The trees were so thick, it was impossible to find a tiny earring. I looked around. Normal, normal, normal…

Rio suddenly stood on alert. "I know……."

I looked at him.

"It's somewhere we wouldn't expect." I looked at him again.

"Rio, this forest is so large; I doubt that we would expect it to be anywhere."

Rio grew more excited. "No no no, I mean, we expect it to be in the forest, but it's not in the forest."

"Shikamaru sensei said…" I tried to interject.

"No, he said there, and pointed in that direction. The forest may just be in the way; we might just be wasting out time."

I thought for a moment. "However, if we are trying to be too smart, we'll end up wasting our time and looking like idiots."

Rio sighed, and kicked the trunk of a tree. "So what do we do? This is an earring we're talking about; it will take us much longer than half a day to find it, and on top of that, we're gonna have to fight each other for it after that!"

I closed my eyes. It was times like these that I wished I had the Byakugan. I took several deep breaths, and thought. I could feel Rio looking at me, probably itching to hear what I have to say.

What do I have to say?

"Let's go find Raiske."

"WHAT?" he shouted. "You've got to be kidding me!"

My eyes snapped open at the last statement.

"Excuse me, but joining up with him improves our rates of success," I said indignantly. "I don't understand the full extents of his sharingan; but his bloodline limit might be able to help us find the earring."

Rio had the look of a man doomed to die on his face. "No. He's…I don't trust him."

I sighed. "What don't you trust about him besides what your own consciousness tells you?" I kneeled, plucked a blade of grass, and stood up. "We can't wait here and search thoroughly this entire forest if Raiske could find it right off."

Rio frowned. "IF his eyes could tell him where it is, he's already found it by now. Besides, he wouldn't want us tagging along anyways."

I scowled, feeling something in my stomach turn cold. "We don't have another plan, Rio."

He shook his head. "It's hopeless."

My head snapped back. "It's WHAT!"

He looked up, "I said: THIS IS HOPELESS."

I felt my head droop with the weight of our situation over our head; Rio was telling the truth. Clearly, Shikamaru wanted to eliminate us all, or favor a bloodline. I bit my bottom lip.

"If only I had the Byakugan," I said softly.

Rio looked at me through misty aqua eyes, and pushed himself off of a nearby tree.

"Let's go."

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Raiske's POV:

It was times like these I wished I had the damn Byakugan. Sure, the Sharingan could copy attacks and see through genjutsu, but it couldn't FUCKING. SEE. THROUGH. TREES.

That said, my triple-wheeled eyeballs are of no use here but as decorations. I growled. How does the sensei suppose we could find a tiny piece of jewelry, in a dense-as-shit forest? His earring gives off no chakra, makes no sound, and has a scent so vague that it was damn near impossible to track.

Wait.

If he actually wears it, then it should smell like him, right? I twitched my nose, and brought it around the area in a scanning motion. I'm no dog, but I could feel a slight scent that is different from what the plants gave off. It was close to that aura Shikamaru gave off, like desert sand and water. It was somewhere near…

…crap.

It was on me. I should have known. He inspected both my forehead protector and my pouch.

I punched a nearby tree in frustration, nearly throwing myself off balance from the one I was kneeling on.

"THIS TEST IS DAMN FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE!" I yelled, ignoring the splinters in my hand. "Fucking shit."

A slight pause. I flipped through the leaves around me, making sure no earring was in sight.

This test IS impossible.

Noon came despite my best efforts.

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Rio's POV:

When people speak of ninja exams, they think about fire and fighting and lots of blood. For us, it was laughable. My ancestors are probably turning in their graves right now. For the past four hours, Kairiki and I did nothing but search the trees like kindergartners. We were PATHETIC, NOTHING like what dad had described. His exam was full of fighting his own sensei and breaking traps. Of course, our sensei might just be lazy. He's probably dozing in the trees somewhere right now. Stupid.

Though, he did say that one of us would pass…?

_You wish, _inner Rio sneered.

Kairiki was besides me, her head hung low and feet dragging across the branches. We didn't talk on our way out of the forest.

Shikamaru-sensei looked up. Raiske was already besides him, looking as though he'd…nothing. Damn that bastard. Did he find the earring with that Sharingan of his?

"Being ninja isn't all what you think," Shikamaru drawled as soon as my feet touched the earth.

I bowed my head shamefully.

"But this exam was not meant to be all fight," he continued. "In fact, I was glad that Rio and Kairiki had worked together, however pitiful the results may be."

I stiffened, and saw out of the corner of my eye that Raiske scowled.

"Most young ninjas could think of nothing but themselves as they fight. They would destroy their teammates as though they have not known them for so many years. My attempt at baiting you to attack each other has failed. I am proud of that."

Could we….would we…

"However," he said, and I felt my heart sink. "None of your hearts' were actually in the goal. Kairiki and Rio's ideas were shot down by each other, and your negative attitudes made it all in all impossible to accomplish your goal." He paused, and pulled a small radio out of his pocket.

"Remove your headbands," Shikamaru commanded.

Taking Raiske's, he plucked off a tiny chip in the etching of the Leaf, and dropped it into an opening on his radio. There was a sharp click, and then fuzzy silence.

"THIS TEST IS DAMN FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE!" came Raiske's voice.

The bastard's face darkened.

With no expression of evidence on his face, Shikamaru took my headband and repeated the process.

"I said: THIS IS HOPELESS," I heard myself say.

Shikamaru looked at us coolly. "Raiske, hold out your weapon pouch." Scanning each of our faces, he retrieved a tiny green stud from the folds of Raiske's pouch, and attached it to his ear.

"Mission accomplished," he said. "If I am not wrong, Raiske's IQ should be high enough to figure this out."

Raiske bowed his head, his mood once again unreadable.

Shikamaru's look became distant. "The Rokudaime Hokage worked his way up from garbage. He never gave up in any mission, no matter how impossible. When Sasuke left the village, it was him who never stopped looking, and eventually dragged the other back." Stopping, he gave a hard look to Raiske. "You owe your entire existence to that."

Raiske was chewing on his bottom lip, and I kind of feel sorry for him.

Shikamaru sensei leaned down and looked into each of our faces. "The most powerful ninja is one who will never give up. All of you have FAILED. Eat lunch, and go home."

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Raiske's POV:

The entire world was crashing around me. Me, the top rookie of this year, was not even good enough to become a ninja. What will Tameo think? Worse, what will I do from now on? A series of crazy ideas flashed through my mind. I had not even considered another career other than ninjahood until now. Shikamaru was definitely taunting me.

The rice tasted bland and rubbery as I chewed. I leaned against the side of the bridge heavily, resisting the urge to roll over and puke into the water. The other two didn't seem to be enjoying their meal much either. Kairiki looked to be in shock, and Rio glared at me darkly, his food barely touched.

Shikamaru, strangely, had not yet left, as he was supposedly to have done. Instead, he loitered a fair distance from us, watching loosely. A part of me wanted to scream at him. Yet, the more sensible side suggested that he may be waiting. Waiting for what?

I put my lunchbox down.

"How do you feel?" Kairiki suddenly asked me, taking me by surprise.

"How do I feel?" I echoed hollowly. She was staring at me unblinkingly with moss-green eyes. Rio also turned his attention to her.

"Yes. How do you feel about giving up your dream?" she asked, still staring.

"I…"

"I don't want to," Rio interjected. "I know I don't."

Not trusting myself to speak, I nodded.

"So, is there something you can do?" she asked, still staring at me.

I swallowed. "Why do you ask?"

At this, Kairiki shrugged. "You have the look of a dead person." She gave Rio a pointed glare as well. At first, nothing registered in my mind. And then…

Kairiki stood up. "The most powerful ninja is one who will never give up."

Rio suddenly looked as though he was struck by lightning. "I'm not going to give this up," he declared. "I am going to be a ninja."

As though in a dream, I felt myself follow them towards Shikamaru sensei, who had a lazy smile on his face.

"Shikamaru sensei, we ask that you give us another chance at the genin exam," Kairiki said.

Here comes the dream part.

Shikamaru sensei smiled, and passed ALL of us.

My first mission is tomorrow.

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AN: (author bashes head against wall) I hate this chapter. No thought, and I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE! Besides that, it took FUCKING LONG! And it sucked!

Sorry about review replies. I'll try to answer to the signed ones from now on…I apologize.

Next chapter will hopefully incorporate team five. Team six will wait for a while.

Again, I am so sorry.


	7. Omens and Replays of the Past

Since a reviewer asked about characters and personalities and such, I will outline the details of the rookie nine (plus team nine)'s children.

If you do not wish to read this section, it is recommended that you skip over to the actual chapter.

Pairings: Hyuuga Neji/Hyuuga Hinata, daughter Kairiki, son Raikimaru

Uchiha Sasuke/Yamanaka Ino, daughter Tameo, son Raiske

Uzumaki Naruto/Haruno Sakura, son Rio

Nara Shikamaru/Temari, son Shiro

Akimichi Chouji/OC, son Goku (doesn't that sound like a reference)

Inuzuka Kiba/OC, son Tsume

Aburame Shino/OC, daughter Tohru

Rock Lee/TenTen, no children

Miscellaneous: Hyuuga Hotaru, son of Hyuuga Hanabi and OC

As for personality and appearances, I do not wish to elaborate. Hopefully, one day I will actually sit down and draw the new rookie nine. Meanwhile, read the story and develop your own ideas about the personalities of each character. (seriously, I don't even have a clue)

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Naruto.

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Monster: Chapter 7

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He was running through the woods, his sweat sticking his shirt to his back and his teal eyes wide and fearful as he stumbled blindly. Deep kunai wounds marred the boy's thin back. His clutched fists were soaked in blood, and his black ponytail was caked with dried blood. The child panted harshly, and tore off his forehead protector.

"Rio…."he gasped into the leaf symbol. "I've got to go back."

Suddenly, the dark trees moved. The raven-haired boy growled in frustration and tied his forehead protector back on. He murmured something, and threw two explosive notes.

Brilliant red fire filled Ino's vision.

Something was shaking her. Ino blinked warily, almost forgetting what was scaring her so much, before she bolted out of her husband's hands and ran to the farthest room down the corridor. She felt the nearly nonexistent thump as Sasuke followed her, but ignored his silent question. Pulling open the screen door roughly, she breathed a sigh of relief when the large teal eyes of her son turned towards her.

"Mother?" he inquired politely, flipping the page of his book. Ino hung against the doorframe for a small moment before Sasuke ghosted into the doorway.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked.

Ino watched as her son's gaze went back to his book. "I couldn't sleep, Father. I hope my reading did not disturb any of you."

Ino drew in a shaky breath, and walked towards where Raiske was leaning against the back of his bed. A guilty pit in her stomach wondered when she ever did such a motherly thing before. Raiske looked up again, his eyes impassive when they met hers. She tentatively raised her hand, and Raiske looked at it cautiously.

"I'm…sorry," Ino whispered, running her hand through her son's silky locks. They felt different from Sasuke's, whose hair was coarse to the touch and unfavorable for fondling. She bit her lip. Raiske used to make his father so scared. But the wide-eyed boy she saw in her dream was not the icy Itachi who had assaulted Konoha years ago, despite his looks and habits. _How much this child has suffered…_

Raiske lightly jerked his head out of his mother's stroke. "What for," he said dully, not even intending for it to be a question.

Sasuke watched nonchalantly from the doorway, and his hearted twisted uneasily.

Ino stepped back quickly, many things on her mind, and pulled Sasuke back to their room.

"Protect him on his next mission," she commanded.

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Kairiki's POV:

I. Am. Beyond. Stunned.

Shiro sighed at me, and patted me on my back.

"We are what?" Rio asked incredulously. Raiske was also slightly wide-eyed. I swear, that boy has lashes longer than a giraffe's.

Lee-sensei gave a brilliant smile that blinded me for a moment, much as the flash from a camera would have done. "Yes, young ninjas. By a new rule from the Hokage, team 5 and team 7 has a A-ranked mission on their first day!"

I pinched Shiro.

Rio punched the side of Raiske's face.

Raiske stepped on Tameo's foot.

Tameo extracted the chip bag from Goku's mouth.

Shiro sighed.

Shikamaru sensei suddenly poof-ed into the doorway. "This is indeed very troublesome," he sighed. He and Shiro exchanged lazy waves, and then he made his way to the side of the room where Lee-sensei was beaming at everyone.

"A point in this mission must be made clear now," he said. "It is a protection mission that frankly…doesn't deserve the rank it has been given."

Everyone in the room froze. I was puzzled. What was Shikamaru-sensei trying to go with this? An A-ranked mission must be difficult, right?

Lee-sensei pulled out several sheets of mission information from a nearby desk. "Well, we are escorting the lord of Lightening Country back to his homeland," he said, and frowned slightly. "Oh…." He looked at me. "Well, young students, I certainly see the cause of disappointment."

Cause of disappointment?

Before I had a chance to inquire, Shikamaru took the mission papers.

"The first part of this troublesome mission is that the Lord has brought his family, including a wife, a daughter, and a son."

Kids?

"The second part," Shikamaru continued, "Is that the children are your age."

Oh great. Snobby teenagers.

"The third part," Shikamaru drawled lazily, "Is that each member of the house held special requests for their bodyguards."

"Requests?" echoed Rio.

Lee-sensei took the papers from Shikamaru sensei. He looked less than happy now.

"The Lord of Lightening Country states that he will not tolerate women as his bodyguard," Lee-sensei said angrily. "He wants the youngest, toughest, and most chivalrous youths." At this, Lee-sensei shook his fist at the paper. "The Lady desires a girl who is soft-spoken and womanly, yet is strong and persistent. The Royal Daughter wants a strong youths with a laid-back personality and…" he paused. "…sense of humor." Rio coughed something that sounded strangely like 'maniac'.

"And lastly…" Lee sensei said. "The Royal Son wishes for a young sword-wielder who can hold their own against any foe."

I have a very very VERY bad feeling about this.

"As you can see, your profiles were selected carefully and matched to the Royal families' demands," Shikamaru said. "This is why all of you will be split up."

I bit my lip and looked around. Goku looked very left out, his slightly puffy cheeks dragging down into a light frown.

At this moment, Lee turned to him and laughed. "Of course, there will be one ninja alternating between groups along with the jounins." He gave a wink to a traumatized Goku.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "The Lord had picked Uchiha Raiske and Uzumaki Rio out of the profiles. The Lady had chosen Uchiha Tameo. The Daughter had selected Nara Shiro, and the sword wielder, obviously, is Kenshin Kairiki."

"This dangerous mission will last roughly three weeks," Lee-sensei said, suddenly serious. "Many enemies are after the Family, and it is your duty to protect the client you are assigned to. Shikamaru－sensei and I will not interfere unless the circumstance demands it."

I was stunned by his moody words. How much peril will we face, if even the grinning Lee-sensei had sobered?

"Of course, this will most definitely still be a VERY youthful journey for us all!"

Never mind.

3333333333

Rio's POV:

And so, I found myself walking at an explicably slow pace besides the horse-drawn carriage, weapons in hand, along with a bastard. No need for me to clarify who said bastard is, right?

Of course, the 'honor' of being chosen as one of the 'youngest, toughest, and most chivalrous youths' faded as soon as I saw the Lord of Lightening country, a man whose voice can best be described as womanly. I remembered Inner Rio gasping and shrieking "It's one of THEM!", and Uchiha-teme staring. I swear, that boy has lashes longer than a giraffe's.

After an eternity of inspection, pampering, (for the royal ladies), and reassurances that Lee-sensei's eyebrows will not come alive and devour our party, the Lord made sure that the bastard and I had on our most intimidating look, our kunais and shurikens at ready, and then stared at us with beady eyes until we were in our positions. He also told us, with a girly voice, to make sure our faces stayed as dangerous as possible, and then retreated to whatever shaded luxury was offered inside his little tent.

Three hours later, my jaw was ready to fall off from frowning. Of course, bastard probably did alright. He was born with a wrinkled brow and extra tendons pulling the corners of his mouth downward. I couldn't see him at the moment though, because we were on either side of the carriage, thank (insert name of god). And no, I am not mocking anyone. I am non-religious.

I actually feel kind of sorry for Shiro, now that I think about it. Walking at a snail's pace with a frozen face and useless weapons while hearing sounds of grapes being eaten inside the carriage that contained the girly man I was supposed to protect was nothing compared to his situation. The Royal daughter turned out to be a senseless nine-year old brat who clung to Shiro like glue, and I could hear her yelling from here, a good fifty meters away.

Strangely, just as Inner Rio ranted about how my fingers were asleep, the bastard spoke to me.

"Hey."

I blinked. Err…?

I practically heard the vein in his forehead bulge. "Rio," he said more insistently.

"What is it?" I replied lazily, stretching my voice out as Shiro had done.

Yes. The bastard's teeth were grinding oh-so-loudly.

"Have you wondered where Shikamaru sensei is trying to get at with this arrangement?" he asked sullenly.

Wha?

I heard the bastard slap his head. "Stop acting stupid, baka."

Now I'm even more confused. I didn't say anything…

"Yes you did."

Did you just read my mind?

"No."

Yes you did.

I heard a sigh. "Rio," bastard said. "You have just voiced your thoughts."

I did?

I can talk without talking?

COOL!

I heard another sigh. Wait…I really, really, didn't talk…

Inner Rio, get back NOW!

I heard a slight swoosh, and the bastard was looking me in the eye. "Are you sure your don't have a fever or anything?" he asked, a (waxed, it must be) eyebrow rising into his hair.

"No," I managed to say, as Inner Rio grudgingly retreating back to his lair.

"Could have fooled me."

It took me a moment to process that information, and then I leapt upon him with all of the fury of Inner Rio's mighty Taijutsu of Fear. I sent a flying punch towards his pale cheeks, which was blocked by a rigid fist, and he threw away his shuriken to put a left hook right into my stomach. At that moment, we tossed the rest of our weapons, and engaged in what could best be described as Clawing, Biting, CHEWING, Punching, Kicking, Kneeing, Screaming, Rolling, and of course, Cursing.

"WHAT YOU SAY YOU FRICKING BASTARD YOU DARE SAY THAT AGAIN I'LL BEAT YOUR SORRY LITTLE UCHIHA ASS INTO THE GROUND SEE YOU SAY THAT AGAIN YOU—"

He spat some blood and a tooth into my face. "And YOU ARE A LITTLE FUCKER, YOU! WHAT'S THE DEAL POUNCING ON ME LIKE A MOTHERFUCKING LITTLE SKANK FUCK WHAT'S YOUR FRICKING PROBLEM YOU LITTLE IDIOT!"

I pushed him to the ground and tried to strangle his girly little neck. He kicked me in the stomach from under and I flew about three feet into the air before slamming down with what strength and little body weight I possessed. I heard a muffled choke, before Raiske took me by my collar and _pulled_, perhaps merely upon instinct.

WHACK.

My mind didn't realize my physical location at first, because my lips were numb from the impact. Then, as an astonished gasp came from the door of the carriage, and all of my nerves went on hyper-speed as I realized that I was kissing the bastard, who was kissing me, and I was sitting on top of him, and he was still pulling me down.

Shit.

I looked at the bastard's face, and saw the reflected horror of my own mind. His crazy large teal eyes were widened in surprise and disgust. Mine were too, I'm guessing. And even though I wanted to move, I was still in shock, and the bastard's fingers were still gripping my turtleneck collar like there was no tomorrow.

"Err…" I felt him say into my mouth.

"Heck…" I mumbled down.

"WHOA!"

At Tameo's surprised outburst, bastard and I sprang apart like startled rabbits, turned our backs, and spat out whatever saliva and taste of the other still remaining in our mouths.

Tameo, contradictory to her personality, burst out laughing. "Onii-san's first kiss is with a GUY!"

I felt my face heat up, and a tinge of pink stained the bastard's.

"What is the meaning of this?" the Girly Lord suddenly said in his voice. "Call the jounins here immediately!"

There was a moment of urgent silence as everyone looked around in vain.

"My, my," Shikamaru-sensei drawled with interest. He suddenly appeared besides bastard and I. "What an amusing replay of the past."

Amusing replay of the past?

Sensing our inquisitiveness, Shikamaru-sensei elaborated. "Would it humor you to know that your fathers had done the exact same thing back when they were genin?"

A tense pause.

"My father KISSED the Hokage?" Raiske-teme demanded.

I whistled, looked around, and stopped.

The Lord was turning rather purple.

We were SO fired.

333333333333333

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, but my own story got me confused, and preparing for high school isn't the most exciting thing either. I dread the day when I must enter its doors.

Shudder.

I'm so sorry.


End file.
